(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a front wheel suspension system for a vehicle.
(b) Description of the Related Art
Generally, a steerable wheel suspension system connects an axle and a vehicle body to each other, and absorbs vibrations and impacts from a road surface while the vehicle is being driven, to enhance safety and ride comfort.
To absorb impacts, the vehicle suspension system is connected flexibly in a vertical direction. To endure driving force, braking force and centrifugal force generated from the wheels, the suspension system is connected firmly in a horizontal direction.
As is well known, the suspension system includes a shock absorber disposed between, for example, a lower link and an upper link or a vehicle body.
When a vehicle is in a turn, if the shock absorber is located insuitably, damping force of the shock absorber acts in a direction where a toe-in of outer wheels with respect to a turning direction is increased, resulting in an oversteer phenomenon. Particularly, such an oversteer phenomenon caused by the damping force of the shock absorber is more serious in the case of a double-wishbone type suspension system in which a lower control arm is separated in order to have an imaginary moving center, deteriorating handling performance of the vehicle.
Therefore, the present invention has been made in an effort to solve the above-described problem.
It is an objective of the present invention to provide a front wheel suspension system that can prevent an oversteer phenomenon during the turning of a vehicle.
To achieve the above objective, the present invention provides a front wheel suspension system for a vehicle including a wheel carrier for supporting a wheel, an upper control arm for mounting to an upper end of the wheel carrier, separated lower control arms for mounting to a lower end of the wheel carrier, and a strut assembly for mounting on one of separated lower control arms to absorb up-and-down impacts transmitted from the wheel, the strut assembly being inclined in a direction and designed to apply damping force to one of the separated lower control arms when the vehicle bumps, wherein a device is provided to generate reacting force acting against the damping force of the strut assembly, the reacting force being applied to one of the separated lower control arm to compensate for the oversteer effect by the damping force.
Preferably, the device for generating reacting force comprises a connecting rod for mounting on the lower control link, and a stabilizer bar one end of which is coupled to a top of the connecting rod, the connecting rod being inclined in a direction opposite to that in which the strut assembly is inclined, the stabilizer bar functioning as an anti-roll device for the vehicle.